Writing By Isma’il Adamu; Editing By Yusuf Zubairu
Hajiya Dada Yar’Adua, who passed away on Monday, September 2, 2024, at the age of 100, has left a remarkable legacy of nation-building through her extraordinary dedication to her role as a mother.
It is said that charity begins at home, as families are the building blocks of any society. A mother, for her part, is the first school every child goes through, a place where character is molded and habits are formed from a tender age. An African proverb illustrates that a tree stem can only be shaped while it is still soft and tender; once it becomes thick and stiff, that opportunity is lost forever.
Although little was known about the Yar’adua family matriarch due to her reserved and shy disposition, so much is known about her offspring who rose to prominence and contributed in various ways to nation building while living a life of simplicity, humility, modesty and impact on their society.
The nine children Hajiya Dada bore to the Musa Yar’Adua family speak volumes about the upbringing they received from a disciplined mother who insisted on traditional values of honesty and hard work as the pathway to success, and simplicity and humility upon achieving success.
For instance, one of her prominent sons, Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, despite having served as a two-term governor and later as President of the country, was described by his associates as a very humble, approachable, and easy-going person despite reaching the peak of his political career. At his death, Yar’Adua left behind only a modest house in Katsina, a record that is very uncommon among his peers.
Besides his electoral reforms, nationalistic stance, and the seriousness with which he addressed security and economic matters, one striking and memorable trait of Umaru Yar’Adua was his insistence on living on the same level as his people. As governor of Katsina State, he disapproved of using power generators at the Government House and chose to experience power outages alongside the rest of the town.
General Shehu Musa Yar’adua, who was the Chief of General Staff in the military regime that ruled the country from 1976 to 1979, despite going into private business after his military career, also lived a life of modesty while also touching thousands of lives through his philanthropic activities.
Three of Hajiya Dada’s granddaughters are also married to former governors of Bauchi, Katsina, and Kebbi States, while many of her children and grandchildren have risen to the peak of their public service and private sector careers. One of Hajiya Dada’s grandchildren, Murtala Yar’Adua, was a former minister in the Goodluck Jonathan cabinet, while her son, Abdulazeez Musa Yar’Adua, is the serving lawmaker representing Katsina Central in the Nigerian Senate.
Similarly, her late husband, Alhaji Musa Yar’adua was a high-ranking Member of the Nigerian Parliament during the First Republic where he subsequently served as Minister of Pensions, then Minister of Lagos Affairs.
A non-materialistic person himself, Alhaji Musa died in 1993, leaving behind a simple house in the crowded Yar’Adua area of Katsina metropolis. The house still serves as the family’s residence, despite the opportunities they had to acquire a more luxurious home in any exotic location in the country.
In Hajiya Dada, Nigeria has indeed lost a mother who, in her prime, molded the character of some of the finest public servants and captains of industry. These individuals have made remarkable contributions to nation-building and left a legacy that will continue to inspire both present and future generations.
While prayers and tributes continue to pour in as the Yar’adua family receives sympathizers on condolence visits over her death, the nation must not fail to appreciate the unique power of motherhood and how it could be harnessed for public good.
Ismail Adamu
